Paintbox



July 18, 1950 J. DU MAS PAINTBOX Filed Oct. 8, 1946 In venfor':-

Jean Dumas @ZMMJW Patented July 18,1950

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFWE' PAINTBOX .1 can Dumas, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 8, 1946 Serial 701,890

lClaim. (01. 41-4) This invention relates generally to a painters box and more particularly to a paint and pallet box.

Heretofore, artists have customarily utilized, in

their work, paint cases or boxes, provided with 5 a handle, in which they may carry from place to place their tubes of oil paints, their brushes, and various other implements peculiar to their trade, such as pallet knives, etc. Some of these cases or boxes have also been provided with compartments for the artists pallet and others have provided a pallet as an integral part of the case. The boxes or cases, however, which have heretofore been available to artists are unsatisfactory insofar as they do not provide protection for paints which have been removed from the tubes and placed on the pallet for use, but which have not been entirely used during the course of their painting. These partially used paints which are normally spread over a large portion of the sur-' face of the pallet at present represent a loss to the artist and because they are relatively expensive materials, it is economical to protect them from drying out or otherwise deteriorating due to exposure. I

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a painters box or case having a compartment for the pallet wherein any paints which remain on the pallet will be preserved when the box is closed. It is a further object of this invention to provide a painters box wherein paints on the entire surface of the pallet adapted to be carried in the box will be preserved in an hermetically sealed chamber formed upon closing the lid of the box. It is still a further object to provide a painters box having compartments for paints, brushes, and the like, as well as a compartment for a pallet and wherein the pallet will serve as a lid for the compartments containing the brushes and the paints and yet be held securely within the box when the box is closed so that it will not move or slide about. Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of my invention.

My improved painters box in general comprises a main body portion having a cover hinged thereto and within which may be placed a pallet. The pallet rests within the main body portion on resilient supports so that when the box cover is closed, the pallet is urged by the resilient supports into an abutting relation with the cover whereby a substantially air-tight chamber is formed by the cover and the pallet. Any paints on the working surface of the pallet are thus preserved from becoming dried and deteriorated.

Paint boxes have been provided where the pallet is an integral part of the box and conduits connect the pallet with tubes of paint carried in the box, and these paint boxes have been made for hermetically sealing off the tube when the box is closed. These boxes are not to be confused with the box of my invention and are neither as useful or practical since the pallet itself is not sepable nor is there any protection for paints that are spread over the surface of the pallet as occurs in normal use of the pallet by an artist.

paint box when closed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing the box open and showing a portion of the pallet cut away to better illustrate the compartments within the box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my preferred pallet.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, my improved painters box or case comprises generally a main body or box portion I and a cover 2,hinged thereto. A handle 3 is provided for carrying the box and latches 4 and 5 are provided for locking the cover in a closed position. In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the lower portion of the main body I is divided into a number of compartments 6 by partitions l and 8 connected across opposite walls 9 and ill of the main body I. These compartments may be for tubes of paints, brushes, erasers, sponges, and other miscellaneous artists tools. Any suitable number may be provided. In the upper portion of the main body of the box, above the partitions l and 8 is a space or compartment II for a painters pallet l2 which is preferably of the same configuration as the box but small enough to be nested therein.

The pallet I2 is a generally dish-shaped member comprising a working surface I 3 which is surrounded by a peripheral up-turned flange [4. The pallet may be formed from a sheet metal plate by stamping, as is, preferably, both the main body portion and the cover of the box. It is understood, however, that my box may be made of other materials such as wood, plastics, and may be made by other methods of manufacture than stamping. The juncture l5 of the upturned flange with the working surface [3 of the pallet is preferably a smooth curved surface to facilitate the removal of the paints from the pallet with the customary pallet knife. The edge l6 of the flange l4 preferably lies entirely in a single plane for reasons hereinafter pointed out.

When the pallet is within the main body of the box, it rests on resilient supports I! which preferably comprise tubular cylinders l8, secured in each of the corners of the main body by welding or other suitable means, containing therein a coil spring I9 which actuates a plunger 20. The cylinders preferably are provided with an inturned flange 2| at the upper end thereof which cooperates with a flange 22 at the end of the plunger to prevent the plunger from separating from the cylinder.

Along the inside edge of the cover 2, which is preferably also dished, is provided a continuous peripheral gasket or seal 23. The gasket is of a shape complementary to the peripheral edged the pallet and is preferably secured to an inwardly extending ledge preferably formed by welding or securing by other suitable means an angle 24 to the cover 2. The location of the gasket on the cover is such that when the cover paints will be protected from drying-out or deteriorating in this manner and may, therefore, be used again and will not constitute a loss to the artist. By having the cover and the pallet generally dished, the compartment 25 is sufliciently large to accommodate globs of paint without their touching and smearing the cover when closed.

It will be noted that the pallet when in position serves as a lid for the lower compartments 1 and is itself held securely from moving about by the cover under the pressure of the resilient supports. It will further be noted that the opening and closing of the box with the gasket 1n the position shown can be effected without causing undue pressure on any part of the gasket, which is preferably a sponge rubber, though other suitable materials may be used. This insures long gasket life and better sealing. By having the edge of the pallet lie in a single plane, uniform pressure is thus obtained when the cover is closed, thus giving the best seal.

Many modifications of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art and the modification described above is intended as an illustration of a preferred form. Therefore, no limitations are intended thereby except as are contained in the following claim.

I claim:

An artists paint box assembly comprising a rectangularly shaped container having a similarly shaped hinged cover attached thereto along one edge and latches along an opposite edge for locking said cover on saidcontainer, said container havinga plurality of upright partitions therein forming a number of compartments for brushes, erasers, sponges, tubes of paint and other artists tools, said container having a space therein above said compartments, a pallet comprising a rectangular-dish-shaped member having a peripheral upturned flange adapted to be positioned in said space in said container, resilient supports for said pallet comprising springpressedplungers mounted in the corners of said container, and a continuous peripheral sealing gasket mounted on said cover against which the upturned flange of said pallet is urged by said plungers whereby when said cover is closed a hermetic seal is made between the pallet and said cover.

JEAN DUMAS.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowingreferences are of record in the file of thisJpatent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 257,285 Brownell .May 2, 1882 -877,700 Brockmann Jan. 28, 1908 1,641,650 Walker Sept. 6, 1927 

